[s-cars] Serpantine belt breaking the timimg belt

[Eric_R_Kissell at whirlpool.com]

"Calvin & Diana Craig" <calvinlc at earthlink.net> wrote:

>Of course all this would be solved if the damn manufacturer wasn't too
cheap
>to use a chain or timing gears in the first place.

Which opens the door for a debate as to why Audi (& Volkswagen) chose a
timing belt rather than a chain or gears.

What are the advantages of a timing belt over other options?

What are the disadvantages of a timing belt over other options?

In my job that we have to balance all of the design criteria and cost is
only one consideration. Has Audi chosen the timing belt alternative for any
reason other than cost? Is the cost actually less than other alternatives?

Eric